The ubiquity of computer-based mobile devices, such as mobile phones, tablet computers, laptop computers and the like, equipped with wireless networking capabilities (e.g., WiFi, IEEE 802.11, wireless networking capabilities) along with deployment of wireless network access points that permit such devices to access the Internet or other computer network has given mobile professionals, consumers, students and others the ability to send and retrieve information from thousands, if not tens of thousands, of locations, both public and private. While offering great freedom to the users of such devices, these developments have created challenges for enterprise information technology managers, security professions and others. For example, enterprises that permit employees to use personal mobile devices on corporate networks not only are faced with challenges related to the bandwidth consumption of those devices, but also the very real possibility that the devices might serve as conduits to inappropriately transfer sensitive company materials outside of the corporate network. Even for company-issued mobile devices, IT managers have little or no visibility into applications running on those devices and so cannot, with certainty, determine whether any are being used for improper purposes.
One solution to this problem is to install agent software that runs on the mobile device. The agent may act as a watchdog and report on activities that it deems to be suspicious or inappropriate. Or, in some instances, agents may forbid the use of certain applications on a device or the transfer of certain materials outside of a corporate network. The use of such agent software is not, however, an ideal solution. For example, because so many devices exist, it can become a significant problem for an IT department to try and maintain all of the different agents that would be necessary within any enterprise of size. Further, if personal devices are permitted within the corporate environment, it becomes virtually impossible to police the use of such agents on those devices. Most software agents of the kind being described can be disabled at the device user's option, making such agents a rather ineffective means of securing a network. Further, even if it were possible to insist on the use of such software agents to access a corporate network, many mobile devices include alternative off-device data paths, for example, via cellular radio communications, and the agents that police data network usage would be irrelevant when such paths are employed.